System and method of image capture simulation

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for demonstrating displays and image capture devices are presented. Such systems and methods are typically provided in a retail environment. Customers may efficiently and easily compare disparate displays and image capture devices at a single location using the systems and methods disclosed herein.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/147,476 filed May 16, 2002 to Crutchfield entitled “VirtualSpeaker Demonstration System and Virtual Noise Simulation,” and to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/053,931 filed Feb. 10, 2005 toCrutchfield entitled “Virtual Showroom For Interactive ElectronicShopping,” the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated byreference herein in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a system and method for imagecapture simulation in a retail environment. In particular, certainembodiments of the invention relate to providing consumers with theability to compare various image capture devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Traditional retail electronics showrooms do not allow consumers toefficiently compare products. For example, a typical showroom mightfeature several different cameras and camcorders, without any efficientway to for a consumer to compare the various models. Further,traditional product comparison methods require retailers to providedemonstration models for each product of comparison. This takes upvaluable retail space and degrades the value of the demonstrationmodels, which are typically sold to customers at a discount.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a system forevaluating characteristics of multiple image capture devices in a retailenvironment is presented. The system includes a first image capturedevice accessible to a customer. The system also includes a userinterface configured to accept a user input. The system further includesa stored collection of parameters associated with a plurality of imagecapture devices. The system further includes a purchase point so that atleast one of the plurality of image capture devices may be purchased.The system further includes a processor configured to access at leastone of the stored parameters in response to the user input. The firstimage capture device is configured to simulate at least one of theplurality of image capture devices consistent with the user input.

Various optional features of the above embodiment include the following.The system may further include a display configured to display an imagecaptured by the first image capture device in accordance with thesimulation of the at least one of the plurality of image capturedevices. The display may be a television screen, computer monitor,organic display, digital paper, flexible display, foldable display,roll-up display, glasses, goggles, helmet, active windows, activepicture frame, head-up display, embedded display, or printer. The firstimage capture device may be a camera, camcorder, scanner, fax machine,copy machine, biological imaging device, or mimeograph. The at least oneof the plurality of image capture devices may be a camera, camcorder,scanner, fax machine, copy machine, biological imaging device, ormimeograph. The stored collection of parameters may include parametersrelating to resolution, and the first image capture device may beconfigured to simulate a resolution of at least one of the plurality ofimage capture devices. The stored collection of parameters may includeparameters relating to color, and the first image capture device may beconfigured to simulate a color captured by at least one of the pluralityof image capture devices. The system may be further configured to altera color histogram. The system may further include color profile means.At least one of the stored parameters may be empirically determined. Thecollection of stored parameters may include: height, width, resolution,contrast ratio, brightness, color range, aspect ratio, pixel size, pixelshape, pixel composition, pixel orientation, field of view, userinterface, interactivity, spatial density, bandwidth, connectivity, orinput type.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method ofsimulating a plurality of image capture devices for evaluation in aretail environment is presented. The method includes providing a firstimage capture device. The method also includes accepting an input at auser interface. The method further includes accessing, from a storedcollection of parameters associated with a plurality of image capturedevices, a stored parameter associated with a second image capturedevice. The method further includes simulating the second image capturedevice using the first image capture device and consistent with the userinput. The method further includes offering at least one of theplurality of image capture devices for sale.

Various optional features of the above embodiment include the following.The method may further include displaying an image captured by the firstimage capture device in accordance with the step of simulating. The stepof displaying may include displaying on a television screen, computermonitor, organic display, digital paper, flexible display, foldabledisplay, roll-up display, glasses, goggles, helmet, active windows,active picture frame, head-up display, embedded display, or printer. Thefirst image capture device may be a camera, camcorder, scanner, faxmachine, copy machine, biological imaging device, or mimeograph. Atleast one of the plurality of image capture devices may be a camera,camcorder, scanner, fax machine, copy machine, biological imagingdevice, or mimeograph. The stored collection of parameters may includeparameters relating to resolution, and the step of simulating mayinclude simulating a resolution of at least one of the plurality ofimage capture devices. The stored collection of parameters may includeparameters relating to color, and the step of simulating may includesimulating a color captured by at least one of the plurality of imagecapture devices. The method may further include altering a colorhistogram. The method may further include using color profiles. Themethod may further include empirically determining at least one of thestored parameters. The collection of stored parameters may includeheight, width, resolution, contrast ratio, brightness, color range,aspect ratio, pixel size, pixel shape, pixel composition, pixelorientation, field of view, user interface, interactivity, spatialdensity, bandwidth, connectivity, or input type.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a system forevaluating characteristics of multiple image capture devices in a retailenvironment is presented. The system includes at least one image capturedevice accessible to a customer. The system also includes a userinterface configured to accept a user input. The system further includesa stored collection of parameters associated with a plurality of imagecapture devices. The system further includes means for simulating atleast one of the plurality of image capture devices in response to theuser input. The system further includes means for offering at least oneof the plurality of image capture devices for sale. The means forsimulating is configured to access at least one of the stored parametersconsistent with the user input.

Various optional features of the above embodiment include the following.The system may further include means for displaying an image captured bythe first image capture device in accordance with the simulation of theat least one of the plurality of image capture devices. The means fordisplaying may be a television screen, computer monitor, organicdisplay, digital paper, flexible display, foldable display, roll-updisplay, glasses, goggles, helmet, active windows, active picture frame,embedded display, head-up display, or printer. The first image capturedevice may be a camera, camcorder, scanner, fax machine, copy machine,biological imaging device, or mimeograph. At least one of the pluralityof image capture devices may be a camera, camcorder, scanner, faxmachine, copy machine, biological imaging device, or mimeograph. Thesystem may further include means for simulating a resolution of at leastone of the plurality of image capture devices, where the storedcollection of parameters includes parameters relating to resolution. Thesystem may further include means for simulating a color captured by atleast one of the plurality of image capture devices, where the storedcollection of parameters includes parameters relating to color. Themeans for simulating a color may include means for altering a colorhistogram. The means for simulating a color may include color profilemeans. At least one of the stored parameters may be empiricallydetermined. The collection of stored parameters may include: height,width, resolution, contrast ratio, brightness, color range, aspectratio, pixel size, pixel shape, pixel composition, pixel orientation,field of view, user interface, interactivity, spatial density,bandwidth, connectivity, or input type.

Still further features and advantages of the present invention areidentified in the ensuing description, with reference to the drawingsidentified below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The purpose and advantages of the present invention will be apparent tothose of skill in the art from the following detailed description inconjunction with the appended drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of certain features of an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a screenshot of a test pattern according to an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 3 depicts collected 2×2 pixel matrix data according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 depicts surface plots of the data of FIG. 3 according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram depicting usage of a spatial transformaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 depicts a screenshot of a bitmap display program according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a graph depicting standard sensitivities of three cone typesaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram depicting color perception according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram representing the entire range of perceivedcolors on a single diagram according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 10 shows how three primary light sources are used to recreatesignals going to the brain according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 11 depicts a region or range of colors that can be recreated usingvarious combinations of primary colors according to an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram of a display as an input-output deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 depicts a sensor for measuring a display's properties accordingto an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a plot of certain measured output of a plasma display forcertain inputs according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a general methodology forcreating a color simulation according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 16 is a graph depicting a nearest color match according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of certain features of an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 18 illustrates a field of view simulation for an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 19 is a schematic illustration of a color simulation techniqueaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 presents representative results of a color-histogram-shiftingalgorithm according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 21 illustrates a histogram-shifting algorithm according to anembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of certain features of an embodiment ofthe present invention. This embodiment includes a product demonstrationarea 100 situated in a retail environment. The retail environment may bepart of a brick-and-mortar store that caters to consumers. Access to theretail environment may require a membership, or walk-in consumers may beallowed. In general, the retail environment is part of a store thatsells electronic equipment to consumers.

The embodiment of FIG. 1 includes a display 110 that is capable ofsimulating a multiplicity of different displays. In general, a displayused to create a simulation is referred to as a “reference” display, anda display that is being simulated is referred to as a “target” display.For example, display 110 may simulate individual brands and models oftarget displays. Thus, for example, reference display 110 may be capableof simulating a SAMSUNG LTP1745, a SHARP AQUOS LC-13S1US, and a TOSHIBA14DL74.

Display 110 is preferably located in a product demonstration area 100that is acoustically and visually isolated from sound and light sourcesthat would interfere with a careful evaluation of its simulations. Byway of non-limiting example, display 110 is located in a dedicated roomwith lighting having a dimmer control and possibly a window. Such a roommay be free-standing or a different room in the store, but is preferablyenvironmentally isolated from the rest of the store. The environment ispreferably controlled in terms of ambient light and sound. Preferably,the dedicated room includes dark-colored walls and acoustic dampingmaterial. The acoustics are preferably as dead (anechoic) as possible;reverberation (e.g., acoustic reflections due to hardwood floors orother hard surfaces) may be added electronically. Display 110 may beisolated by other expedients, such as thick curtains, baffles, and/oracoustic foam.

A customer 120 is able to view display 110 from comfortable furniture130, which may include, by way of non-limiting example, a chair, couch,loveseat, or recliner. Furniture 130 is arranged at a typical viewingdistance from display 110. Preferably, furniture 130 and/or display 110are movable so that customer 120 may customize the evaluation experienceto more closely mimic the customer's home viewing arrangement.

In general, the environmental variables of the retail environmentproduct demonstration area 100 may be controlled to simulate a broadrange of actual environments in which a product may ultimately be used.Environmental variables include, by way of non-limiting example,temperature, ambient light, ambient sound, room reverberation, roomsize, room geometry, inclination, vibration, pressure (static ordynamic), fluid motion (air/water/etc.), ports (windows/doors/etc.), andothers. For instance, product demonstration area 100 may simulate thetimbre and volume of an air conditioner, fan, dishwasher, or othernoise, and may simulate sunlight from a window in a viewing room, lightfrom an adjacent room, light from a lamp, light from a ceiling light, orother sources of light.

A user interface 140 is provided to control display 110. User interface140 is configured to control the content being displayed, the source ofthe content, and the type and parameters of display being simulated.Thus, user interface is capable of selecting from among several contentsources, both local and remote. Such remote content sources include, byway of non-limiting example, broadcast television, cable television, webcast or other Internet source, radio (for audio), and satellitetelevision. Local content sources include, by way of non-limitingexample, DVD, HD DVD, VHS, laserdisc, digital video recorder (DVR),intranet, and video compact disc (VCD), media center PCs, or any otherinput source.

User interface 140 is preferably capable of acting as a fully-functionalremote control for both local and remote content sources. Thus, userinterface 140 is preferably capable of changing channels in broadcast,satellite, and cable television modes. In addition, user interface 140may include control mechanisms for all of the features of a typical DVDplayer, VHS tape player, digital content source player, or source ofother content. User interface 140 may be physically attached to alocation at retail environment 100, or may be portable. By way ofnon-limiting example, user interface 140 may be hand-held and resemble atypical television remote control. User interface 140 may be controlledprimarily or exclusively by an employee. Alternately, or in addition,user interface 140 may be controlled by customer 120.

In general terms, the embodiment of FIG. 1 includes a first product 110that is configured to simulate the qualities of different products asperceived by an appropriate observer, such as a human, animal, orelectronic sensor. Certain embodiments of the present invention includea purchase point in the retail environment where customers may purchaseone or more of the simulated products. Such a purchase point may includea traditional check-out counter such as those found in retailelectronics stores. Alternately, or in addition, the purchase point maybe an electronic kiosk located in the retail environment. Similarly, thedisplay 110 itself may include purchasing capabilities. Thus, displaymay 110 have a system of menus, for example, that allow a customer tobrowse the various display products that are available for purchase. Acustomer may be able to actually purchase a selected display by, forexample, swiping his credit card at the reference display 110 or userinterface 140. Thus, display 110 may itself include point-of-purchasecapability.

Examples of parameters that may be incorporated into the simulationinclude, but are not limited to, resolution, refresh rate, contrastratio, brightness, color range, tint, hue, gamma, aspect ratio (displayand conversion), viewing angle, pixel size/shape/composition/orientation(e.g., dots, bars, rectangles, etc.), screen size, color rendering(e.g., color rendering engine), screen shape (e.g., flat or curved), andsusceptibility to ambient light. In some embodiments, the simulation mayincorporate all five human senses into the simulation strategy.

Exemplary parameters associated with displays are their off-axis viewingcharacteristics. In general, different displays have differentdirectivities. Thus, certain displays are brighter at perpendicularangles versus oblique angles. Such angles may be left, right, up, ordown from the straight-ahead axis. Preferably, the reference display haslittle or no off-axis image degradation. To simulate off-axis viewingcharacteristics, a user reports his or her off-axis viewing locationrelative to the reference display. Such reporting is preferablyaccomplished automatically, such as via a radio-frequencycoordinate-reporting device located in, e.g., portable user interface140. The location information is reported to processing logic, whichadjusts the reference display accordingly, e.g., by dimming the displayin response to greater oblique viewing angles. Alternately, or inaddition, a user may manually report his or her viewing location to suchprocessing logic. The processing logic preferably simulates off-axislight output characteristics according to empirically measured samples.In general, off-axis viewing characteristics may be simulated within andacross technology categories (e.g., CRT, LCD, Plasma, DLP, flexibledisplays, digital paper, etc.).

Another set of display parameters are associated with definitionquality. For example, displays may be standard definition (SDTV),enhanced definition (EDTV), high definition (HDTV), or other formats.Each of these definitions has several associated parameters. Scanningtype is one such parameter. Scanning types include progressive (p),which updates every line with each frame, and interlaced (i), whichupdates every other line with each frame. Resolution, typicallyquantified by number of vertical or horizontal lines (e.g., 480, 720,1080), is another parameter that may be simulated. Combining resolutionwith scanning yields many different definition quality types such as, byway of non-limiting example, 720p, (resulting in 921,600 pixels perframe), or 1080i (resulting in over 2,000,000 pixels per frame). Otherdefinition quality parameters include frames per second (e.g., 24, 30 or60) and aspect ratio (e.g., standard 4:3 or wide-screen 16:9). Digitaltelevision (DTV) may have eighteen different formats, when resolution,scan, refresh, and aspect ratio are all taken into account. Each ofthese formats may be separately simulated. In addition to modelingdisplay types, different interlacers may also be simulated, such as theFAROUDJA deinterlacer found in the INFOCUS X1 front projector.

Different aspect ratios may be simulated as follows. There are multiplemethods used to convert between standard aspect ratios (e.g., 4:3, 16:9)including reducing the size of the image and filling the unused spacewith black “bars,” and image stretching. The conversion techniques usedby a specific display can be simulated by the reference display.

Another display parameter is display technology. Display technologyincludes, by way of non-limiting example, cathode ray tube (CRT), liquidcrystal display (LCD), liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), plasma, digitallight processor (DLP), and front or rear projectors of certain of thepreviously-mentioned types. Any of these technologies may be simulatedon the reference display. For each of these technologies, the followingexemplary non-limiting parameters may be measured and used to create asimulation: color correctness, black level, brightness, light intensity(or other measures of light, often measured in Lumens), and viewingangle effect. For DLP target displays, the following exemplarynon-limiting parameters may be taken into account: type of color wheelincluding the number and type of colors, color wheel speed, and type ofchip. Other parameters may also be incorporated into a displaytechnology simulation, such as other parameters described hereinincluding tint and refresh rate.

Another parameter associated with displays includes flaws in the displaytechnology or implementation. Such flaws may be simulated on a targetdisplay, even though the target display does not inherently possess sucha flaw. For example, the “screen door effect” of some LCD displays as aresult of the black lines to the right and bottom of the color bars thatcomprise each pixel may be simulated on a non-LCD (e.g., CRT) referencedisplay.

As another example, single-chip DLP displays are known to exhibit a“rainbow effect.” This rainbow effect may be simulated on a CRT or otherdisplay type in order to accurately depict the target displaytechnology. For instance, because the effect is caused by the rapiddisplay of different colors of an image in rapid succession, a CRTdisplay may simulate this effect by displaying different colors of animage at a similarly rapid succession. A 3-panel LCD display might alsosimulate this effect by displaying light from each panel in rapidsuccession instead of light from all panels simultaneously. Forinstance, light from the various LCD panels may be alternately blocked(e.g., by using appropriately designed and sequences masks) so thatlight is allowed to pass through only one panel at a time. In anotherembodiment, a single color wheel may be used to filter the colors of asimulated color wheel at or near the lens of a CRT, LCD, or otherprojector display.

Pixelization is yet another example of a flaw that may be simulated.Pixelization is a problem typically associated with LCD projectors andlow-resolution display devices and may arise when a viewer is situatedtoo close to the screen. In such an instance, the viewer may see theindividual pixels, which diminishes the viewing experience. Pixelizationmay be simulated regardless of the reference display technology. Ingeneral, a target display's image reproduction performance can besimulated by the reference display to demonstrate the abilities andlimitations in dealing with information content in the input signal.Additionally, noise on an input signal (analog or digital) can besimulated to show an effect on the image quality. The above examples arenot exhaustive; other flaws may also be simulated.

Another parameter possessed by displays is the viewing surface finish(e.g., gloss, semi-gloss, matte, etc.). A high gloss finish can causedistracting reflections whereas a matte finish may reduce the apparentlight output of a display. The viewing surface finish typically hasother effects on the image, including affecting the brightness andcontrast. The reflectivity and transparency of a display's finish couldbe characterized and the information used to compare displays within andacross technologies.

Another display parameter is physical appearance. That is, each displayis physically framed by its surrounding enclosure. This characteristicmay be simulated by projecting the image of the target display aroundthe screen of the reference display to convey the physical appearance ofthe simulated display. To provide a more realistic representation of atarget display, the physical appearance can be incorporated into thereference display by “framing” the simulated image.

In some embodiments, the size of a display can be simulated, by way ofnon-limiting example, using a motor to move reference face panels (e.g.,forward or backward) until the reference display appears to have thesame size and shape as the target display. Similarly, image qualitycharacteristics may be affected by including a dark border around theimage, such as a black material around the edges of a projector screen.Different types and colors of borders, as well as their locationrelative to the image (e.g., touching the edge of the image or severalinches from an image edge) may also be simulated. For instance, one ormore motors may be used to move border material relative to an image.

Another parameter possessed by displays is physical weight. Physicalweight may be simulated by displaying the weight of a target display onthe reference display or on an auxiliary display associated with thereference display. The physical weight may be displayed numerically,symbolically, or both, for example. Alternately, or in addition, thephysical weight of a target display may be simulated by physicallyadding and subtracting mass to the reference display. Mass may be addedor subtracted by, for example, pumping water into and out of a reservoirwithin the reference display. A customer may be able to physically liftthe reference display so configured in order to ascertain the weight ofthe target display whose weight is being simulated.

Another display parameter that may be simulated is user interfaceappearance. A reference display may simulate the appearance, and evenfunctionality, of on-screen user interfaces (menus) of a target display.Thus, a user's interaction with configurable functions and settings maybe accommodated. The appearance and interaction of the target display'son-screen user interface can be incorporated into the reference displaysimulation.

Further, the functionality and appearance of a remote control associatedwith a target display may be simulated. For example, a reference remotecontrol having a touchscreen that is adaptable to displaying the keypadlayout of a target remote control may be used. Such a reference remotecontrol may even operate as the target remote control when virtualbuttons (corresponding to the target remote control buttons) areactivated via the touchscreen. The reference remote control may take theform of user interface 140, or may be a separate device.

Another display parameter involves multiple-display technology. Forexample, for two or more image or video sources, certain displays mayaccommodate picture-in-picture, and certain displays may accommodatepicture-and-picture. These features may be taken into account andincorporated into the simulation.

Yet another display parameter is how performance is affected by ambientlight. Some display technologies (e.g., front projection) can be greatlyaffected by ambient light in the viewing environment. To affect asimulation of ambient light impact, its affect on performance metrics(e.g., contrast ratio, brightness) is measured, and this information isused to simulate a display under environmental variables. Also, theambient light of the viewing environment may be changed, such as byadjusting a light dimmer switch and turning on or off various lightsources (e.g., lamps) throughout the display room to simulate real-worldconditions. An electronic window shade may be used to change the amountof ambient sunlight.

Yet another display parameter is color rendering ability. There are manypublic or proprietary color rendering algorithms implemented inhardware, known as “color engines”, (e.g., SONY's WEGA, SAMSUNG's DINE)inside display units. These color engines determine the colors in adisplayed image. There are also differences in precision between colorengines (e.g., 8-bit, 12-bit) that may affect the accuracy of colorreproduction. The color output of competing color engine algorithms canbe simulated by taking empirical measurements (e.g., by measuring lightoutput and color intensities compared to a reference measurement) andusing the same to construct a simulation. Alternately, color renderingengines may be reverse engineered to construct a simulation. In someembodiments, a reference display may be modified so that it mayalternately use color renderers or other processors from variouscommercial display devices in order to more accurately simulate colorreproduction or other features of the commercial display device. Aswitch may be used to switch from one processor to another.

Yet another display parameter is physical connection layout. That is,each display includes connectors for connecting the display to otherelectronic devices, such as DVD players, receivers, DVRs, and audioequipment. The connectors may appear on the front, back, or other partof the display. The reference display may simulate the target display'sconnection layout. Such simulation may be accomplished, by way ofnon-limiting examples, by representing the layout on the display'sscreen, or on another screen physically located on the reference displayin analogy to the connection location on the target display. Forinstance, a small display located near, in front, on a side, or at therear of the reference display may display the connection layout of thetarget display.

Yet another display parameter involves a display's depiction ofdifferent input types. Thus, for example, a display may depict analogversus digital input signals differently. A simulation may take suchdifferences into account and display differences between, for example,the same video sequence encoded as analog and digital input formats. Inanother example, the reference display may actually use (or simulate theuse of) the different image processing technologies used by the targetdisplay to render images from different input sources. In yet anotherexample, the reference display may also simulate various video signalsthrough a short, high-quality (e.g., component) video cable and a moredegraded video signal through a long, low-quality (e.g., s-video) videocable.

Yet another display parameter involves interactivity with other devices(e.g., digital devices). Such devices may include, by way ofnon-limiting example, audio devices, DVRs, home entertainment devices,computers, and others. The simulation may take into account the variousadvantages and disadvantages of target displays with respect tooperability with other devices and display a summary of such features tothe customer.

Reference displays, such as display 110, may include and/or simulate, byway of non-limiting example, the following types of displays: televisionscreens, front projector screens, computer monitors, organic displays,digital paper, flexible/foldable/roll-up, augmented reality equipment(e.g., glasses, goggles, helmets), active windows, active pictureframes, “see-through” head-up (HUD) displays, astronomical displaydevices such as an electronic telescope, embedded displays (e.g.,displays in cell phones, land-line phones, cordless phones (in either orboth of the handset and base), cameras, wristwatches, MP3 players,personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable ANV electronics,photocopiers, domestic appliance, etc.), or other types of displays.

Specific techniques for simulating one display with another include thefollowing. As discussed in detail below in reference to FIGS. 2-16,resolution and color may be simulated using various processingtechniques. In addition, or in the alternative, other methodologies maybe employed. A projection display may be configured to simulate variousdisplay sizes by altering its focusing optics to produce larger orsmaller screen sizes within the physical display screen. A projectiondisplay may also be physically moved (e.g., by use of a motor) to movecloser to or further from the screen (or to move parallel to the planeof the screen). Different sizes may be accommodated by simpletruncation. The simulation may accommodate physical manipulation of thereference display device and/or signal processing to manipulate thesignal input into the reference display so as to simulate a given targetdisplay.

Embodiments of the present invention may employ various types ofreference displays. By way of non-limiting example, a large (e.g., 65inch) rear projection (e.g., microdisplay) television or a frontprojector may be used. Either may offer an appropriate-sized referencedisplay if none of the target displays are larger. It is possible toavoid people walking through the beam of a front-projector referencedisplay by careful architectural design. Alternatively, the projectedimage could be reversed and projected from the rear. The additionalspace requirements may be minimized using mirrors to increase theprojection distance. In general, a rear projection television wouldoffer a smaller footprint compared to using a front projector projectingfrom the rear. It is also generally less susceptible to ambient light.Physically manipulating projection optics may accommodate targetdisplays that have a physically smaller pixel size than that of thereference display. Front projectors, for example, may accuratelysimulate any size display by projecting through an optical zoom lens.

Certain embodiments of the present invention may employ a hybrid systemusing both front and rear projection displays to form a referencedisplay. In such an embodiment, the rear projector performs the displaysimulation on the rear projection screen, while the projector “frames”the viewable area of the simulated display with graphics of the physicalappearance of the display unit.

Certain embodiments of the present invention may use a VP2290bhigh-resolution nine megapixel display manufactured by Viewsonic as areference display.

Certain embodiments may simulate differences in resolution by eitherup-sampling or down-sampling. Spatial transforms, discussed in detailbelow, allow a higher-resolution display to simulate pixel spatialcharacteristics of a lower-resolution display. By way of non-limitingexample, a typical CRT pixel is comprised of red, green, and blueelements surrounded by a black masking line, whereas a typical LCD pixelis comprised of red, green, and blue rectangles bordered on one side andthe top or bottom. A sufficiently high resolution display can re-createall of these characteristics according to certain embodiments of thepresent invention.

In general, a display picture starts with a certain resolution (x pixelsby y pixels). Each pixel is generally comprised of at least three colors(e.g., red, green, blue). In many displays, each pixel color may have avalue of 0 to 255. Up-sampling and down-sampling algorithms according toan embodiment of the present invention start with a three-dimensional(3D) map of each color as a function of the x and y pixels where the zaxis (the third axis) is the color value. Up-sampling and down-samplingre-interpolate these values at different x and y pixels values than thatfor the original picture. Up-sampling uses a finer pixel resolution;down-sampling uses a coarser pixel resolution.

A resolution transform according to an embodiment of the presentinvention may be used when a higher-resolution display simulates alower-resolution display. Each pixel value (red, green, blue) ismultiplied by a spatial transform as discussed further below todetermine the “simulation pixel” (which is comprised of multiple pixels)on a high resolution display.

Exemplary resolution simulation technology is now detailed. Thesetechniques may be applicable to both display and image-capturesimulation. First, typical resolution will be stated, followed by analgorithm and typical results.

TV video can be quantified with an effective resolution. This resolutionis usually quantified in terms of number pixels in a vertical orhorizontal direction or a total number of pixels. Other ways ofquantifying resolution include an analog picture standard such as analogNTSC or a digital standard such as a digital HDTV standard.

Digital cameras (the resolution of which may also be simulated accordingto the present techniques) have resolution that are specified inmegapixels, with the market currently at about 3-6 MP. Futureresolutions of 10 MP are foreseeable. Some digital cameras also haveMOVIE mode, where a typical resolution is about 320×240 pixels.

Digital camcorders (the resolution of which may also be simulatedaccording to the present techniques) use a variety of resolutions fortheir MOVIE mode. Such devices are now offering 2 MP still images aswell.

Typical digital video technology stores the data in a compressed JPGformat. For still images, it is typically JPG, for MOVIE mode, it istypically MPEG. Pictures in JPG format can be uncompressed to produceraw data in “24 bit hicolor” format, which is comprised of three bytes,one for each color. The first eight bits (one byte) represents theamount of red, where 0 is no red and 255 is red all on. The next byte isfor green, and the last is for blue. Each byte therefore addresses onered, green, or blue part of one pixel on the display.

Down-sampling is a process where data is reduced from a higherresolution to a lower resolution. Splitting high resolution data intothree components (e.g., red, green, blue) allows for curve-fitting.Commercial software programs such as MATLAB, available from The MathWorks of Natick, Mass., and LabVIEW, available from National Instrumentsof Austin, Tex., may be used for this purpose. The data can then bere-interpolated at the resolution of the display and re-combined intostandard 24 bit “hicolor” format. For example, data can be down-sampledfrom 8 MP to 3.2 MP; however there is a loss of data in the process.

Up-sampling is a process where data is expanded from a lower resolutionto a higher resolution. There is no new information added in thisprocess, but the data is expanded to fill the array. An example ofup-sampling is as follows. Suppose you have a 2 MP camera and want todisplay it on an 8 MP display. The simplest solution is to map everypixel from the camera to four pixels on the display. When convertingfrom, for example, 3 MP to 8 MP, the 3 MP data can be curve-fitted, theninterpolated at the new resolution. Differences in detail will likely beapparent.

In order to collect data in one embodiment of the present invention, adisplay to be simulated is assembled and set up on a lab table locatedin a darkroom. If provided, a stand is mounted to the display so it canbe lifted and placed on and moved around on the lab table. Then thedisplay is connected to a power source, and a PC/DVI input cable isconnected. The display is configured to take the input signal on a PCcompatible port using the display's “Source” setting. The input signalused to display test images for data collection is taken from the outputconnector of a standard PC video card. For initial work, an NVIDIAGEFORCE FX 5200-based VGA/DVI combo output video card is used togenerate the pictures displayed. Any sufficiently capable graphics cardssuch as the NVIDIA GEFORCE 6800 Ultra Extreme, ATI RADEON X850 XT mayalso be used.

Once the input signal is sent to the display and its “Source” setting ischanged to the appropriate input, the display is adjusted so that eachpixel of the input signal corresponds to a single pixel on the display.In other words, there is preferably a 1-to-1 correspondence between theinput signal and the pixels in the display. Displaying each pixelgenerated by the video card individually allows data to be collected foran individual pixel, which produces the cleanest filter routines forsimulating the output of each display.

Still in reference to an exemplary embodiment, in order to optimallyconfigure the unit, a setting such as “Aspect Ratio” or “Screen Size”may be adjusted in combination with the output display resolution (e.g.,1024×768 or 1280×720) produced by the PC's video card. By testing withcombinations of these two settings, it is typically possible to generatea 1-to-1 pixel output. To test for this optimal set up, a LABVIEWapplication may be written which displays arrays of colored pixels, allthe way down to a single pixel (1-by-1 array). Such an application mayalso be used to generate test images for data collection from eachscreen.

The physical dimensions of a display's screen and output image arepreferably measured to filter and transform sample images in order tosimulate a display. To do this in a consistent manner, a nine-inch-longtest grid may be attached to the tested (target) displays. The scalesare preferably attached to the top, bottom, and sides of the display sothat reference images can be taken of the full display. Pictures may betaken with and without external illumination, without disturbing thecamera set up, so both the physical dimensions and the outputcharacteristics of the full display can be accurately measured.

To collect data for development of filtering algorithms, a darkroom maybe constructed to eliminate stray environmental light. Such a room maybe constructed of a one-inch diameter PVC tubing frame with crossmembers and wire bracing for added strength. This frame may be hung fromthe drop ceiling by eight strapping wires attached to S-hooks. On top ofthe frame, a plastic chicken wire mesh may be laid to provide a ceiling.On top of this ceiling, and from all sides, sheets of six-mil-thickblack Mylar may be hung. The black Mylar sheets block out external lightand help eliminate reflected light within the darkroom. The darkroomneed not be film-developing quality, but can be enhanced by the additionof an outer layer of blackout cloth and by carefully locating andpatching light leaks, if required.

By way of non-limiting example, a KODAK DCS Pro14N digital camera may beused to take data images. A small tripod is preferably used to securelysupport the camera for imaging. Initially, a manual NIKON NIKKOR 50 mm1:14 lens may be used. A 1 GB CF memory card may be used to capture thedigital image data. The camera can also be connected directly to a DELLPC via an iLink (IEEE-1394 or “FireWire”) cable. Control software comeswith the camera that allows remote activation and control via the ILINKconnection. One way to capture data images is to set up, aim, and focusthe camera in the darkroom, then adjust the exposure time and takeimages from the control PC. In some embodiments, some ambient light maybe allowed in order to test the performance of the display in ambientlight conditions.

The camera is preferably positioned using the tripod so that the cameralens is perpendicular to the display screen being imaged (as close aspossible). The distance of the camera from the display is adjusted sothat the desired image is properly framed. In taking data of individualpixels, the camera is preferably placed as close to the screen aspossible within the limits of the lens focal length (this isapproximately 1.5 feet for the aforementioned NIKON 50 mm manual lens).The lens is focused by eye to get a crisp image of the picture beingdisplayed, or of the individual pixels in close-up data collection.

Non-reflective (or otherwise light-damping) black material may becoupled to the camera in such a way that it blocks out all (orsubstantially all) of light emanating from anywhere other than thetarget pixel. For instance, the black material may be close to ortouching the screen itself, and it may have an aperture that allowslight from the target pixel to pass to the camera. This may help toavoid ambient light (including light from other pixels) from interferingwith the picture of the target pixel. The aperture may be larger thanthe size of the pixel (e.g., four times larger) to avoid diffractioneffects.

It should be appreciated that for front projectors, the positions andorientations of the camera, projector, and screen may be modified toachieve the most accurate measurements. For instance, because a camerain front of a screen might otherwise obstruct any projected image on thescreen (including the target pixel image), a front projector may betreated as a rear projector so that the camera is behind a translucent(or semi-translucent) screen. In some embodiments, the camera may bepositioned on the same side of the projector, but the camera and/orprojector may be positioned at an angle to the screen so that they donot block one another.

It should also be noted that in the case of display devices using asingle-chip DLP, the shutter speed of the camera may be adjusted so thatit measures the “total” color of a pixel rather than the single colorthat is displayed on the screen at any given time. For instance, theshutter speed may allow for light from a one or more complete rotationsof the color wheel.

For the first displays imaged, the ISO speed of the CCD imager may beset to ISO 400, and the camera lens aperture may be adjusted to asetting of F8. This allows data to be collected with exposure times ofno longer than 1/10 of a second, but is also narrow enough to helpcorrect for a small amount of mis-focus through its depth of field.Sample images are then preferably taken over a range of shutter speeds,generally from 1/10 to 1/125 of a second. Then proper shutter speeds arechosen for final data collection so that the display colors are not“washed out” (overexposure), too dark (underexposure) or irregular(e.g., speed of shutter faster than refresh rate of display signal). Forimaging of individual pixels, a set of correctly-exposed pictures aretaken, as well as, preferably, one or more sets of underexposedpictures. Underexposure may be helpful in eliminating saturation of thecaptured images, allowing for more linear filter algorithms.

The Pro14N camera has a wide variety of internal settings which mayaffect the raw CCD data taken and recorded to the CF memory card ordownloaded to the PC. Preferably, all special effects that can bedisabled are disabled. The main settings that typically cannot bedisabled are: White Balance Mode, which may be set to the default valueof “A (Auto)” (or another setting such as 50%), Noise Reduction, whichis set to the default value of “Normal,” and Image Look, which is set tothe default value of “Product.” In some embodiments, “optimal” settingsof a display may be used. This way, a reference display may simulate thebest picture quality of a target display rather than its default picturequality.

Once data images have been captured, they are downloaded to the controlPC via the ILINK cable in the KODAK proprietary DCR image format.Software is also supplied with the camera to open these images. Theimages are then saved in standard TIFF format for conversion to BMP(Windows bitmap) format and subsequent analysis. PHOTOSHOP or XNVIEW areused to crop and/or down-sample the images to the correct size forsimulation of each display.

In the case of close-up display data (see, e.g., FIG. 3), the signal“plateau” of each individual pixel can be isolated and extracted whenthe images are analyzed in MATLAB. This allows the color output forindividual red, green, and blue pixels to be measured, as well as for a“white pixel,” when all of the colors are illuminated. This data may beused as the basis for filtering a display image to simulate the outputof each display.

FIG. 2 depicts a screenshot of a test pattern on a LABVIEW program usedto produce a test pattern that can be used to gather data according toan embodiment of the present invention. In order to characterize, by wayof non-limiting example, the SAMSUNG LTN325W display, the program may beused to display arrays and matrices of red 210, blue 220, green 230, andwhite 240 pixels on the display. The program preferably displaysmatrices of red, green, blue, and white pixels as defined by the user.The user is able to modify intensity, row size, column size, spacing,and resolution. FIG. 2 depicts using the program to display 1×1 to 10×10matrices of pixels on the SAMSUNG LTN325W display in red 210, blue 220,green 230, and white 240. The display is then photographed using theKODAK DCS Pro14n 14 mega-pixel digital camera. Each color matrix isphotographed at a distance of 1.5 feet, which is the minimum focallength of the lens. The data is analyzed using MATLAB in order toestimate a spatial transfer function for simulating the SAMSUNG screenon the high-resolution VIEWSONIC VP2290b-2 display.

FIG. 3 depicts collected 2×2 pixel matrix data according to anembodiment of the present invention. In order to properly estimate aspatial transform for display of a low-resolution picture on ahigh-resolution display, an integral approach may be used to estimatethe contribution of each color across a single pixel. In order to arriveat an accurate spatial transform, a single pixel is preferably used tocharacterize the spread for each color component in the pixel domain.Specifically, red 310, blue 320, green 330, and white 340 pixels aredisplayed. Single pixels may be removed from the images in FIG. 3manually and surface plots may be generated using MATLAB. Exemplaryresultant plots are shown below in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 depicts surface plots of the data of FIG. 3 according to anembodiment of the present invention. The equivalent pixel size ratiobetween the SAMSUNG LTN325W and the VIEWSONIC VP2290b-2 was calculatedand found to be approximately 1 to 4. The size of the pixel data shownin FIG. 4 was assumed to be 12 pixels square in the 14 MP domain forpurposes of calculation. Therefore, to calculate the spatial transformbetween the two displays, the single-pixel distributions shown in FIG. 3were split into 16 regions and the pixel intensity was summed over theseregions to obtain the total intensity for each region. Each region wasfour pixels square in the 14 MP domain. The intensity for each regionwas divided by the total intensity within the pixel domain in order toarrive at the normalized spatial transform value for each correspondingregion. This process was used to produce a quantitative estimation ofthe spatial transform between the SAMSUNG display and the VIEWSONICdisplay. FIG. 4 depicts the results for a red pixel 410, green pixel420, and blue pixel 430, each at 4500×3000 resolution. With thedistributions shown FIG. 4, the following spatial transform, shown inTable 1, was calculated. The transform is normalized to one. TABLE 1Transforms for Single Pixel Data Red Transform Green Transform BlueTransform 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.1 0.3 0.7 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.50.1 0.3 0.7 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.1 0.3 0.7 0.7 0.3 0.10.5 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.6 0.6 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.6 0.6

Thus, Table 1 depicts a 1×1 to 4×4 resolution and color transformationaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. Note thatembodiments of the present invention are not limited to integer-valueresolution changes. In the case where pixel ratios are not integermultiples, a curve-fit or interpolation scheme may be used. The numericvalues appearing in Table 1 correspond to actual pixel values,normalized to one. The spatial transforms of Table 1 were tested andfound to simulate the low-resolution image on the high-resolutiondisplay in a satisfactory manner.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram depicting usage of a spatial transformaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. In order to obtainhigh-resolution pictures for the down-sampling and simulation process,several photographs were taken using a KODAK DCS Pro14n digital camera.These images were then down-sampled to the SAMSUNG LTN325W resolutionusing the “griddata” function in MATLAB. In order to simulate this imageon the VEWSONIC VP2290b-2 display, a new image with a resolution fourtimes greater than the down-sampled image was created. Eachfour-pixel-square region of the simulation image was defined accordingto the corresponding RBG pixel information in the down-sampled image andthe spatial transform used. FIG. 5 schematically depicts this process.

FIG. 6 depicts a screenshot of a bitmap display program according to anembodiment of the present invention. To display the down-sampled andsimulated images, a LABVIEW program as depicted in FIG. 6 may be used todisplay the bitmap files at actual size. A SONY VAIO computer may beused to run the SAMSUNG LTN325W display, and a DELL control computer maybe used to run the VIEWSONIC VP2290b-2 display.

Thus, FIGS. 2-6 and their associated description present embodiments ofthe present invention that allow for simulating the performance ofrelatively low-resolution displays on relatively high-resolutiondisplays. Quantitative and qualitative estimation techniques for thespatial transform between displays may further include effects such aspixel bleeding, nonlinear intensity characteristics, and artifacts dueto dealing with non-integer multiple resolutions.

Embodiments of the present invention that are capable of simulating thecolors displayed by various displays on a reference display arediscussed below in reference to FIGS. 7-16. Preferably, the referencedisplay has a wider color range than the target display. If not, thereference display can simulate how the target display would look withits color turned down. Similarly, the reference display preferably has awider brightness range than the target display. If not, a the referencedisplay can simulate how the target display would look with itsbrightness turned down. In some embodiments, higher brightness orcontrast of a target display may be simulated by adjusting ambient lightconditions. For instance, ambient light may be dimmed to simulate theeffect of a brighter display, and the amount of ambient white light maybe diminished to increase perceived contrast. Candidates for referencedisplays include high-quality three-color RGB displays, as well asmulti-color displays such as those based on five, six, or more primarycolors.

The definition of color is mainly based on human perception. Thus, coloris not strictly a physical property of light. However, the perception ofcolor from one individual to the next is fairly consistent, such that astandard human can be defined for the purpose of defining color. Thestandard color definition is based on a set of experiments conducted in1928 and referred to as the 1931 CIE standard observer. See, forexample, J. Guild, The calorimetric properties of the spectrum, PhilTrans. Roy. Soc. London, A230 149-187, (1929), W. D. Wright, Aredetermination of the trichromatic coefficents of the spectral colors,Trans. Opt. Soc. London, 30 141-164 (1928-29), and InternationalCommission on Illumination (CIE 1931) CIE Proceedings 1931 (CambridgeUniversity, Cambridge, 1932) p. 19, the disclosures of which are knownto those of ordinary skill in the art and incorporated by referenceherein in their entireties. Embodiments of the present invention includematching color according to human perception and matching coloraccording to scientific measurements. That is, embodiments of thepresent invention may include either or both of analytic/empirical colormatching and psycho-optical color matching.

The average human eye has 65 million cones that detect light. There arethree types of cones, each sensitive to a different spectrum of light.(A spectrum of light refers to the distribution of light energy acrossdifferent wavelengths.) The eye also has a number of light detectingrods that are used in low light situations and not primarily responsiblefor color perception. Each spectrum of light that reaches the eyeexcites each of the cone types to a different extent.

FIG. 7 shows the standard sensitivities of the three cone types denoted{overscore (x)},{overscore (y)} and {overscore (z)} to variouswavelengths of light according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. See, for example, D. L. MacAdam, Color Measurement,Springer-Verlag 1981 and G. J. Chamberlin and D. G. Chamberlin, Colour:its measurement, computation and application, Heyden 1980, known tothose of ordinary skill in the art and incorporated by reference hereinin their entireties. The sensitivity of cone type {overscore (x)} iscentered 710 at about 625 nm wavelength light. The sensitivity of conetype {overscore (y)} is centered 720 at about 525 nm wavelength light.And the sensitivity of cone type {overscore (z)} is centered 730 atabout 425 nm wavelength light.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram that depicts color perception according toan embodiment of the present invention. More particularly, FIG. 8schematically depicts the process by which a spectrum of light 810entering the eye is filtered by the sensitivity of the cones 820 tocreate three signals X, Y and Z 830 that are sent to the brain 840 to beperceived as a color. This process can be quantized into the perceivedbrightness of the light Y and the color of the light x and y. Conversionto x and y is relatively simple, and may be represented as, by way ofnon-limiting example: $\begin{matrix}{x = {{\frac{X}{X + Y + Z}{\quad\quad}{and}\quad y} = {\frac{y}{x + y + z}.}}} & (1)\end{matrix}$

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram representing the entire range of perceivedcolors on a single diagram according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. A single wavelength of light, such as that emitted by alaser, represents an extreme in the color that the human eye canperceive. These various wavelengths are marked on the perimeter 910 ofthe color region. White is found towards the middle of the diagram whereall of the X, Y and Z values are balanced.

FIG. 10 shows how three primary light sources 1000 (Red, Green and Blue)are used to recreate the X, Y and Z signals 1030 going to the brainaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. To recreate orsimulate a color, it is sufficient to simply recreate the nerve signalsX, Y and Z going to the brain instead of recreating the entire spectrumof the original light. Thus, the spectrum of light 1010 used by thelight sources and filtered by the sensitivity of the cones 1020 need notbe identical to the original spectrum.

FIG. 11 depicts a region or range of colors that can be recreated usingvarious combinations of primary colors according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. In the 1931 CIE color space, the three primary colors(e.g., red 1110, green 1120, and blue 1130) define a triangular region1100 or range of colors that can be recreated using various combinationsof the primaries. Every display technology has slightly differentprimary colors and therefore a different range of colors or colorpalette. If one reference display is used to re-create the colors ofanother target display, then it will generally be necessary for thereference display to have a wider range of colors than the targetdisplay.

FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram of a display as an input-output deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. In general, a coloris specified on a display using three eight-bit numbers (RGB 0-255).Therefore, every display can be viewed as an input-output device 1220where the RGB values 1210 act as the input and the XYZ values 1230 asthe output. In principle, the RGB inputs to the display should always beproportional to the output light from each of the primaries. This isnot, however, necessarily the case in practice. In many cases, RGBinputs below 50 produce little or no light, especially withhigh-contrast settings.

FIG. 13 depicts a sensor for measuring display properties according toan embodiment of the present invention. A MILORI TRICHROMAT sensor 1300with COLORFACTS software may be used to measure the XYZ light outputsfrom the displays. In this way, an input RGB value is used to create acolor on a display and the TRICHROMAT sensor is then used to measure thecorresponding XYZ values. The more accurate the sensor, the morecomplete the characterization of the display may be. This specificsensor is suitable for CRTs and Plasma screens. Preferably, the sensoris capable of measuring the light radiated normal (i.e., at rightangles) to the screen. Such a capability will reduce certain errorsassociated with measuring LCD displays.

The following observation has an impact on how displays need to becharacterized. It turns out that for a useful characterization to takeplace, it is not always sufficient to separately characterize the R, Gand B input to XYZ output levels and naively combine the results in alinear manner. Consider, by way of non-limiting example, the followingapproach. If the XYZ=[10 20 5] is measured for a G=200, R=B=0, andXYZ=[20 8 3] is measured for a R=200, G=B=0, then one possibleextrapolation is that R=G=200, B=0 would lead to XYZ=[10 20 5]+[20 83]=[30 28 8]. Such a linear extrapolation is a reasonable model forcertain displays (e.g., CRT displays in some instances), but not forcertain other displays.

The non-linearity discussed above may be modeled according to a varietyof techniques. Thus, certain embodiments of the present invention modelaccording to some or all combinations of RGB levels. Some embodimentsaccount for 256×256×256=16,777,216 different RGB combinations. In otherembodiments and by way of non-limiting example, six different RGB valuesmay be used to approximate the total color space by way ofinterpolation. Thus, 6×6×6=216 measurements are taken for each display.Again by way of non-limiting example, RGB values of [0, 51, 102, 153,204 and 255] may be used. In embodiments that use less than all RGBcombinations, a cubic spline in MATLAB may be used to estimate the XYZoutput values between the measured points. This is essentially threedifferent 3-D curve fits, one for the relationship between the input RGBvalues and each of the X, Y, and Z outputs. A MATLAB function may beused to take the raw measured data from the MILORI sensor and find thespline coefficients. Another function may be used to take the splinecoefficients and create a finer set of grid of points (for example,those shown in FIG. 14). Other extrapolation algorithms, other thancubic spline, may be used in the alternative.

FIG. 14 is a plot of measured Z output for a plasma display fordifferent B and R input levels when G=0 according to an embodiment ofthe present invention. For high values of input B (approx 255),increases in input R actually cause the output Z to go down. Thisinverse relationship not accounted for by any of the normal definitionsof gamma, contrast, etc. FIG. 14 thus illustrates at least one type ofnon-linear display response.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a general methodology forcreating a color simulation according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. The methodology finds an input to a reference display inorder to achieve the same color output as the color output from a targetdisplay. This is preferably done for the entire range of possible inputvalues to the target display. As explained in detail below, themethodology creates a color simulation mapping between each set of inputvalues to the target display and the appropriate input values to thereference display in order to simulate that color.

For purposes of illustration, CRT and plasma displays are used asexamples, but the methodology described herein may be used with any pairof displays. In order to create a simulation of a picture displayed on aCRT target display using a plasma display as a reference, the processfirst characterizes the RGB to XYZ performance of both displays at 1510according to the techniques described above.

At step 1520, the process determines the inverse of the plasma displaymodel. If a system is linear, then it is relatively easy to find theinverse since the system can be described by a relatively simple set ofequations or matrices. For a coupled non-linear system, as describedabove, the process is more complex. For every possible RGB input to theCRT, a suitable RGB input value for the plasma display is found thatcreates the same XYZ output. In this way, steps 1510 and 1520 arecombined to create a mapping between the RGB input to the CRT to anequivalent RGB input to the plasma. This can be accomplished, by way ofnon-limiting example, using a 16,777,216-point lookup conversion table.Mappings that employ extrapolations may alternatively be used. Once thiscolor simulation mapping is known, it is relatively computationallyefficient to convert all of the pixels in an original picture into thefiltered image. A sequence of converted pixel instructions for a videoclip may be recorded so that it can be played back in real-time.

A process for creating a mapping is described presently. For purposes ofillustration, assume that the RGB value for the original image is[90,156,180]. For the CRT, this leads to an expected XYZ output value of[48.32 56.82 105.66]. The objective now becomes to find the RGB input tothe plasma reference display to most accurately match this output level.At this point, three issues arise: (i) there may be no exact matchessince the space is not continuous and therefore a search for nearestmatch may be used, (ii) what is an appropriate metric for “nearest,” and(iii) what happens when there are no points nearby to choose from.

Regarding (i), searching the space to find a point can be done in MATLABusing a find routine. Improvements could be made by using a pre-sortingroutine and using the results from the last iteration (say when theinput was [90,156,179]) to help narrow the search.

Regarding (ii), a least squares routine, which is equivalent to distancein XYZ space, may be used to find the “nearest” match. This distance maynot correspond to actual perceptual distance, because XYZ is not aperceptually uniform space (e.g, a typical human might be able totolerate larger changes in Y than in Z, for example). In order toimprove this, the data may be converted to xyY space. In this space, thebrightness or Y value is matched first. That is, a tolerance value,e.g., ΔY=1% Y, is used so that only points within ±1% brightness areselected. From within this subset the nearest color match in xy space(least squared or distance d) is then chosen as the best fit.

FIG. 16 is a graph depicting a nearest color match in xy space accordingto an embodiment of the present invention. Continuing the above example,the graph of FIG. 16 shows all of the possible colors from the referencethat lie within 1% of the target brightness of Y=56.82. For clarity ofexposition, a 5-bit color is used because a full 8-bit color produces avery large number of points. The closest color match is then chosen fromthis group.

The following are with respect to (iii), that no points are nearby. Onepossible solution is to have a tolerance value to be satisfied. Forexample, such a tolerance may take the form of: d must be below aminimum distance d_(min). There is also the possibility that there areno good matches in the brightness Y. If the reference display is not asbright as the desired target color, then it is possible that no pointslie within 1% of the target brightness. To overcome this issue, thetolerance range ΔY may be increased until a suitable (though lessbright) color match is found. If the reference display does not have aswide a color palette as the target display, the target color can be“whitened” by diluting the colors by a factor δ. By way of non-limitingexample, the following formulas may be used: $\begin{matrix}{{x_{whitened} = {\frac{\delta}{3} + {( {1 + \delta} )x}}},{y_{whitened} = {\frac{\delta}{3} + {( {1 - \delta} )y}}},{{{and}\quad y_{whitend}} = {y.}}} & (2)\end{matrix}$The whitening process may find a color that is similar, but with reducedbrilliance. In effect the target color is pushed towards the pointx=0.33, y=0.33. It is possible that both issues may occursimultaneously: that the reference display is not as bright as thedesired target color, and that the reference display does not have aswide a color palette as the target display. In general, it is moreimportant to match the color closely (i.e., x and y) than to match theintensity Y.

Techniques for finding the nearest color may include taking contours ofcolor perception into account. Thus, such techniques may account for“the nearest” in xy space being different from “the nearest” in ourperception of color.

In some embodiments, color measurements may be taken for a targetdisplay device using different settings of the target display device,such as brightness, contrast, and hue. For instance, measurements may betaken for a target display with the brightness and contrast set to 25%and 50%, respectively, and another set of measurements may be taken withthe brightness and contrast set to 75% and 10%, respectively.Measurements may be taken for any combination of settings, such as, byway of non-limiting example, the following: (brightness=25%, hue=25%,contrast=25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%); (brightness=25%, hue=25%, 50%, 75%,and 100%, contrast=25%); (brightness=25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, hue=25%,contrast=25%); and (brightness=50%, hue=25%, contrast=25%, 50%, 75%, and100%).

Because a target display may have a different color scheme at eachdifferent setting, the measurements at a given collection of settingsmay effectively be treated as relating to a different “target display”for purposes of modeling. Thus, in the same way that the referencedisplay may simulate a target display at its default (or calibrated, or“optimal”) settings, it may also simulate its behavior at othersettings. For instance, a customer viewing a simulated target displaymay wish to see what the target display would look like with a lowercontrast setting. The reference display may accordingly simulate thesame target display using a target display profile that was determinedbased on a lower target display contrast setting.

It should be appreciated that by taking a large enough sample ofmeasurements, the effect of any single control (e.g., contrast) on thelight intensity and color of a pixel may be predicted, e.g., by curvefitting the data. An associated curve may be determined for thereference display so that it can simulate the effect of a changedsetting on a target display it is simulating. For instance, the effectof setting the hue of a target display to 75% when brightness is at 60%may be extrapolated from the two sets of measurements taken when the huewas 75% and the brightness was set to 50% and 75%. Thus, in someembodiments, the effect of lowering the contrast (or otherwise changingthe settings) of a simulated target display may be extrapolated based ona single profile of the target display (or multiple profiles of thetarget display) and a curve or function associated with the targetdisplay that indicates the effect of the changed setting.

Similarly, the reference display may be measured at a plurality ofdifferent settings for brightness, contrast, and other picture controlsettings, as described above for the target displays. Each of thesereference settings may be mapped in a table (or other mathematicalmodel) as described above. Curve fitting and other mathematical methodsmay be used to determine the effect of changing each setting such astint (e.g., in combination with changes made to other settings) on theoutput of the reference display.

The plurality of reference measurement sets may effectively be used tocreate different reference profiles. Then, instead of using a single setof reference settings (e.g., the default or “optimal” calibratedsettings) to simulate a target reference display, any of severalreference settings may be used to simulate a particular target display.For instance, one target display with an inherently low brightness maybe best simulated by the reference display set to a low brightnesssetting. These settings may be automatically adjusted, e.g., by causinglogic and/or controllers to automatically input the change in settings(e.g., by causing a motor to turn a knob that controls “hue”).

In addition, changes to the reference display's settings may be used tosimulate changes to a target display's settings. For instance, it may bedetermined that increasing the hue on the target display from 40% to 50%(for a given set of target settings) would have a similar effect toincreasing the hue by 5% and decreasing contrast by 10% in the referencedisplay (for a given set of reference settings). In some embodiments,mathematical methods may be used to map a target display's settings tothe reference display's settings, such that any change to the targetdisplay's settings may be translated into a change to the settings ofthe reference display.

In some embodiments, light intensity of target and reference displaysmay also be measured and simulated. For instance, a device that measureslight intensity (e.g., in lumens) may be used to gauge the lightintensity of the output of a variety of different display devices (e.g.,such as a television or front projector, or a front projector with aparticular screen and configuration). The light intensity of a targetdisplay may be simulated by changing a variety of variables, includingsettings (e.g., brightness) of the reference display and ambient lightconditions. Also, filters may be applied to the reference display (e.g.,an electronically controlled filter that can be activated or moved ontothe reference screen) to reduce its light output. For instance, apolarization filter may be applied to the lens of a reference frontprojector. Higher light intensity may be simulated by reducing theamount of ambient light, for example.

In sum, a color simulation embodiment may have the following features.First, non-linearity of RGB combinations may be taken into account, andthe technique may be fully coupled. To that end, the color sensor maymeasure XYZ. Second, a complete model, which can be considered as amapping between every RGB input to every XYZ output, may be developed.Such a model may be constructed by extrapolating the measured data tocover the entire 256 by 256 by 256 range of possible RGB inputs. Third,a color simulation embodiment may include a mapping between the RGBinput to the target display and the RGB input to the reference display.To that end, the inverse of a reference display may be combined with thetarget display model such that an appropriate RGB input to the referencedisplay is found for every RGB input to the target display, so as tocreate the equivalent light output (color and brightness). Such amapping may be used to filter an image or picture for display on thereference display. Fourth, the inverse of the reference display may beemployed. That is, for a target xyY color/brightness, the outputs fromthe reference display are selected for brightness and then the nearestcolor in xy space is found.

The techniques described above may be applied to simulate displays withmore than three primary colors. Thus, displays with four or more primarycolors may be simulated. For instance, a DLP projector that createscolor using a five-segment color wheel may be simulated.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, multipletarget displays may simultaneously be simulated. Such embodiments allowfor comparison between two or more target displays. Techniques foraccomplishing such comparison include having side by side images on thesame display, having a left-right “mask” over the full-screen imagewhere each half is simulating a different display, switching betweenfull screen images on the same display, and having two physicalreference displays.

Embodiments of the present invention include simulating displays otherthan video displays. Such displays include, by way of non-limitingexample, printing devices. Parameters that may be simulated include, byway of non-limiting example, resolution, color, and physical pixelcharacteristics, such as size, shape, spatial density, and orientation.Color printers typically use different primary color sets (e.g., RGB,CMYK, etc.) which are combined to produce all the colors that can berepresented. In addition to absolute color range, the output fromprinters using different primary color sets could also be simulated.Other printing devices amenable to simulation include, by way ofnon-limiting example, photo printers, computer printers(personal/business/professional/etc.), fax machines, (photo)copymachines, and mimeograph or other technology that produces a hard copyrepresentation of information by applying discrete doses ofpigment/toner/etc. to a physical substance, such as paper.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the techniquestaught herein for simulating a target display on a reference display maybe used to calibrate displays for consistency. Such techniques maycalibrate individual displays for consistent color, brightness, or otherparameters. Displays that are publicly viewable over long periods oftime are particularly suited for such embodiments. By way ofnon-limiting example, the following display types may be calibrated forconsistency: Jumbo-trons (e.g., in sporting venues or Time's Square),the JEOPARDY! television wall, and television production control rooms.

Embodiments of the present invention that are capable of simulatingimage capture devices such as cameras and camcorders are discussed belowin reference to FIGS. 17-21.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of certain features of an embodiment ofthe present invention. This embodiment includes a product demonstrationarea 1700 situated in a retail environment, similar to 100 of FIG. 1. Ingeneral, the retail environment is part of a retail electronics store.As with display 110 of the embodiment of FIG. 1, display 1710 ispreferably located in an environment that is acoustically and visuallyisolated from sound and light sources. The embodiment of FIG. 17 allowsa customer 1700 to compare various image capture devices 1730, 1740,1750. The image capture devices may capture still images (e.g., usingdevice 1730), or video images (e.g., using device 1750). The embodimentof FIG. 17 allows customer 1720 to capture images using a single imagecapture device that is configured to simulate various other imagecapture devices.

Such simulation is typically accomplished by demonstrating what one ormore images captured by one device would look like compared to the sameimage or images captured by a second device. Thus, the embodiment ofFIG. 17 accurately demonstrates, for example, what a picture taken witha first camera 1730 would look like compared the same picture taken witha second camera 1740 by presenting the captured image using, e.g., adisplay 1710 or printer 1715. In some embodiments, a single “reference”image capture device is used to simulate multiple other image capturedevices in this manner.

Typically, images captured by the simulating device are presented to auser using a display 1710 or printer 1715, where such presentations havethe characteristics of the images, had they been captured by thesimulated device. Other types of presentation devices include, by way ofnon-limiting example, televisions, computer monitors, organic displays,digital paper, flexible/foldable/roll-up, augmented reality equipment(e.g., glasses, goggles, helmets), active windows, active pictureframes, “see-through” head-up (HUD) displays.

In general terms, the embodiment of FIG. 17 includes an image capturedevice that is configured to simulate the properties of a differentproduct as perceived by an appropriate observer, such as a human,animal, or electronic sensor. In some embodiments, the simulation mayincorporate all five human senses into the simulation strategy.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the image capture devicesmay be replaced by devices that present images that have been previouslycaptured, such as DVD players. Thus, for example, customers may comparetwo DVD players by displaying their outputs on the same display device.

There are at least three factors that differentiate camera/camcorders(hereinafter, “cameras,” where a distinction is not important) from oneanother. First, the field of view is typically different for eachcamera. Note that the picture size that a camera captures is typicallyless than the wide field of view of the human eye. Second, camerastypically exhibit small discemable color differences that are barelydetectable to the eye, but can be quantified in the histograms. Thesedifferences are mostly small shifts in the red, green, blue histogramvalues of less than 15/255 or 5%. Third, cameras have differentresolutions. By way of non-limiting example, many cameras have more thanfour megapixels. Most camcorder employ NTSC standards of 480 lines(effectively 760×480 pixel resolution). To effectively simulatecameras/camcorders, these three parameters may be accounted for asfollows.

Data stored in cameras is typically in JPG format; data stored incamcorders is typically in MPEG format. Extraction of thepictures/single frames from movies can be easily performed with thesedigital formats. Thus, camcorder simulation may in some embodiments befirst performed using still images from the MPEG data.

FIG. 18 illustrates field-of-view simulation for an embodiment of thepresent invention. The unique field of view for each image capturedevice can be characterized and used to appropriately crop a referenceimage to demonstrate the product's field of view. In one embodiment, animage may be captured with a wide field lens on a high resolutioncamera. The same picture may be taken with the camera to be simulated atfull zoom out 1820 and full zoom in 1810. Field of view differences(among different zoom settings and for normal status) between camerasmay also be illustrated using outline boxes similar to those shown inFIG. 18. Further, images may be interactively displayed to the user tosimulate any zoom setting in between the zoom in and zoom out extremes.

Resolution simulation for cameras may be accomplished using theup-sample and down-sample techniques discussed above regarding displays.An effective demonstration preferably includes a higher number ofpixels, which allows larger “blowup” prints. Such a blowup can beeffectively demonstrated by allowing dynamic zoom of the image. That is,resolution quality may be demonstrated by allowing a user to zoom inuntil the image is grainy and no longer judged to be good quality.Another possibility is to display the maximum dimension for a “goodquality” image, where an objective or subjective standard is employed togauge “good quality.”

Color simulation may be performed as follows. According to certainembodiments of the present invention, a technique for simulating colordifferences includes shifting a color histogram. Another such techniqueshifts some of the pixels in a histogram bin, based on statistics tobetter re-create the original histogram. Alternately, a constant shiftcan be applied. Color may be shifted and matched according to thetolerance of human perception or according to scientific measurements.That is, embodiments of the present invention may include either or bothof analytic/empirical color shifting and matching and psycho-opticalcolor shifting and matching. The color simulation techniques taughtherein above in relation to FIGS. 1-18 may also be used in certain imagecapture simulation embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a schematic illustration of a color simulation techniqueaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. Pictures 1910, 1920are taken with camera A and camera B, respectively, of the same scene,which is preferably static to allow changing of the cameras on thetripod. The red, green, and blue histograms 1930, 1940 are calculatedfor each picture 1910, 1920, respectively. A histogram algorithm is nowapplied to the red, green, and blue histograms 1940 of the picture 1920from camera B to make them match the histograms 1930 of the picture 1910taken by camera A. The output of the algorithm is an input-outputrelationship of the pixels, i.e., the new index, the old index, and thepercent of pixels to shift. The image is processed pixel by pixel; foreach pixel the red, green, and blue pixel values are shifted to theirnew values. The picture is then reconstructed from these new red, green,blue pixel values. For general information on histogram-relatedalgorithms, see, for example, Steven W. Smith, A Scientist and EngineersGuide to Digital Signal Procesing, California Technical Publishing. SanDiego, Calif., 1998 (www.DSPguide.com), Fatih Porikli, Inter-CameraColor Calibration by Correlation Model Function, TR-2003-103, February2004 (www.mer1.com), and Fatih Porikli, Sensitivity Characteristics ofCross-Correlation Distance Metric and Model Function, TR-2003-146, March2004 (www.mer1.com), known to those of ordinary skill in the art andincorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

FIG. 20 presents representative results of a color-histogram-shiftingalgorithm according to an embodiment of the present invention. Thisalgorithm shifts a percentage of the histogram bin values to make the Aand B histograms (the histograms for pictures taken by cameras A and B,respectively) match almost exactly. That is, this algorithmstatistically shifts a percentage of the pixels in a histogram bin, asopposed to shifting the entire bin to another bin. Starting at thehighest pixel value (255), the algorithm steps through the histogramarray, matching histogram bin B to histogram bin A. If the number ofpixels in a particular bin β for B is greater than the number of pixelsin a corresponding bin for A, the algorithm will remove (B-A) pixels tobin β−1. This will create the old index β, the new index, β−1 and thepercentage (B−A)/B. This process is repeated with the new array startingat β−1 until it reaches β=0. FIG. 18 illustrates the shift results forred pixels. The Y-axis represents normalized histogram value (the numberof pixels in each bin/total number of pixels). The X-axis representspixel value (0 to 255). Curve 2010 represents camera A, curve 2020represents camera B, and curve 2030 represents camera B simulatingcamera A. Note that, for purposes of illustration, curve 2030 has beenpurposefully offset by 0.001 since it lies exactly on curve 2010.

An alternate histogram-shifting algorithm may be used in certainembodiments of the present invention. Using the two histogram values,this algorithm calculates an error based upon the differences in thehistograms. The histograms are then shifted by whole numbers in thepositive and negative direction while the error is calculated. The bestfit is then the shift that results in the lowest error. This process isapplied to the red, green, blue histograms. The input-outputrelationship may be expressed as: (old index)−shift=(new index).

FIG. 21 illustrates a histogram-shifting algorithm according to anembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 21 shows three pictures: afirst picture 2110 taken by camera A, a second picture 2120 taken bycamera B, and simulation picture 2030 where camera B simulates camera A.The red histogram 2115, green histogram 2125, and blue histogram 2135are presented in the lower three graphs. Each graph 2115, 2125, 2135compares the histogram for each primary color. As can be seen, the peakvalues of the red, green, and blue histograms are at higher color valuesfor camera B compared to camera A. Using the second algorithm, thehistogram-shift values were determined to be 9, 6, and 18 for red,green, and blue, respectively. As can be seen, all three simulationhistograms are more closely aligned with camera A histograms, producinga better color-matched picture.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, color simulation may beaccomplished by way of color management techniques. Such techniquesprovide a way to take the values that represent a desired color on onedevice, and from them produce corresponding values that reproduce thesame color on another device. Color profiles, such as the InternationalColor Consortium's color profiles, may be used to this effect.Information for implementing such techniques is available atwww.color.org.

Image capture devices other than cameras and camcorders may be simulatedaccording to embodiments of the present invention. By way ofnon-limiting example, scanning devices may be simulated. Such scanningdevices include, by way of non-limiting example, computer scanners(desktop/business/professional/etc.), fax machines, (photo)copymachines, and mimeograph or other technologies that use discrete sensingelements to produce an alternate (digital or otherwise) representationof the scanned information.

Color accuracy capabilities of scanning devices may be simulatedaccording to the techniques taught herein. Thus, a reference scanningdevice with a broad color range may be used to demonstrate the coloraccuracy of a scanning device with a more limited color range. An imagecould be scanned by a reference scanning device and digitally processedto accurately simulate the color content that would be acquired by amore color limited scanning device.

Resolution is another scanning device parameter that may be simulated.Thus, a reference scanning device may be used to simulate the resolutionof a target scanning device. Further, a reference scanning device may beused to simulate the physical characteristics (e.g., size, shape,spatial density, orientation) of a target scanning device's sensingelements. An image could be captured digitally by the reference scannerand digitally or otherwise processed to simulate the image that a targetscanner would acquire.

Certain embodiments of the present invention employ techniques describedherein to specifically match a display device with an image capturedevice. Such matching preferably optimizes the performance of bothdevices so as to model the captured image as closely as possible in thedisplay device. Knowing the output capabilities of the anticipateddisplay device for a captured image/video feed allows certaincapabilities, such as A/D dynamic range settings or exposure time, to beoptimized for that display device.

Certain embodiments of the present invention employ a general standard,which concatenates a wide variety of scientific measurements andperformance metrics. Performance metrics that form part of the generalstandard may include, by way of non-limiting example, brightness, color,resolution, size, and speed of appearance change. Such a generalstandard allows all products marketed in a given retail environment(whether brick-and-mortar, electronic, or other) to be benchmarked andrated. At present, there exists a need in the consumer display marketfor a universal standard that provides for unbiased comparison amongstcompeting products and technologies.

Certain embodiments of the present invention include customer educationexpedients, which may be present in or near, e.g., product demonstrationarea 100 of FIG. 1 or product demonstration area 1700 of FIG. 17. Suchexpedients serve to educate the consumer about features of currentaudio/visual products relevant to selecting a suitable product to meettheir specific needs. Short animations (e.g., MACROMEDIA FLASH) may beused to educate customers on the important features to consider whenchoosing an audio or video product. These short multi-mediapresentations could quickly convey concepts such as sound formats (e.g.,stereo, surround, DOLBY 5.1). Other topics for consumer education (via,e.g., short animation) include, by way of non-limiting example: physicalproduct inspection, screen size, resolution, brightness, contrast ratio,color range/depth, aspect ratio (and conversions), viewing angle, pixelcharacteristics, glossiness of display surface, broadcast resolutionstandards (e.g., SD, ED, HD), ambient light effects, on-screen menus,input signal noise, and color engine differences and precision (e.g.,8-bit or 12-bit). Some of the animations may convey conceptualinformation such as contrast ratio and aspect ratio, while others coulduse scientifically measured data such as resolution, viewing angle lightoutput, and pixel size/shape/orientation. Such animations may also bepresent on a web page for access outside of the particular store. Retailemployees who are familiar with sources of consumer misunderstanding maybe consulted for additional education topics.

Other embodiments and uses of this invention will be apparent to thosehaving ordinary skill in the art upon consideration of the specificationand practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification andexamples given should be considered exemplary only, and it iscontemplated that the appended claims will cover any other suchembodiments or modifications as fall within the true scope of theinvention.

1. A system for evaluating characteristics of multiple image capturedevices in a retail environment, the system comprising: a first imagecapture device accessible to a customer; a user interface configured toaccept a user input; a stored collection of parameters associated with aplurality of image capture devices; a purchase point whereby at leastone of the plurality of image capture devices may be purchased; and aprocessor configured to access at least one of the stored parameters inresponse to the user input; whereby the first image capture device isconfigured to simulate at least one of the plurality of image capturedevices consistent with the user input.
 2. The system of claim 1 furthercomprising a display configured to display an image captured by thefirst image capture device in accordance with the simulation of the atleast one of the plurality of image capture devices.
 3. The system ofclaim 2 wherein the display is selected from the group consisting of:television screen, computer monitor, organic display, digital paper,flexible display, foldable display, roll-up display, glasses, goggles,helmet, active windows, active picture frame, head-up display, embeddeddisplay, and printer.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first imagecapture device is selected from the group consisting of: camera,camcorder, scanner, fax machine, copy machine, biological imagingdevice, and mimeograph.
 5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one ofthe plurality of image capture devices is selected from the groupconsisting of: camera, camcorder, scanner, fax machine, copy machine,biological imaging device, and mimeograph.
 6. The system of claim 1wherein the stored collection of parameters includes parameters relatingto resolution, and the first image capture device is configured tosimulate a resolution of at least one of the plurality of image capturedevices.
 7. The system of claim 1 wherein the stored collection ofparameters includes parameters relating to color, and the first imagecapture device is configured to simulate a color captured by at leastone of the plurality of image capture devices.
 8. The system of claim 7further configured to alter a color histogram.
 9. The system of claim 7further comprising color profile means.
 10. The system of claim 1wherein at least one of the stored parameters is empirically determined.11. The system of claim 1 wherein the collection of stored parameterscomprise data selected from the group consisting of: height, width,resolution, contrast ratio, brightness, color range, aspect ratio, pixelsize, pixel shape, pixel composition, pixel orientation, field of view,user interface, interactivity, spatial density, bandwidth, connectivity,and input type.
 12. A method of simulating a plurality of image capturedevices for evaluation in a retail environment, the method comprising:providing a first image capture device; accepting an input at a userinterface; accessing, from a stored collection of parameters associatedwith a plurality of image capture devices, a stored parameter associatedwith a second image capture device; simulating the second image capturedevice using the first image capture device and consistent with the userinput; and offering at least one of the plurality of image capturedevices for sale.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprisingdisplaying an image captured by the first image capture device inaccordance with the step of simulating.
 14. The method of claim 13wherein the step of displaying comprises displaying on a device selectedfrom the group consisting of: television screen, computer monitor,organic display, digital paper, flexible display, foldable display,roll-up display, glasses, goggles, helmet, active windows, activepicture frame, head-up display, embedded display, and printer.
 15. Themethod of claim 12 wherein the first image capture device is selectedfrom the group consisting of: camera, camcorder, scanner, fax machine,copy machine, biological imaging device, and mimeograph.
 16. The methodof claim 12 wherein at least one of the plurality of image capturedevices is selected from the group consisting of: camera, camcorder,scanner, fax machine, copy machine, biological imaging device, andmimeograph.
 17. The method of claim 12 wherein the stored collection ofparameters includes parameters relating to resolution, and the step ofsimulating comprises simulating a resolution of at least one of theplurality of image capture devices.
 18. The method of claim 12 whereinthe stored collection of parameters includes parameters relating tocolor, and the step of simulating comprises simulating a color capturedby at least one of the plurality of image capture devices.
 19. Themethod of claim 18 further comprising altering a color histogram. 20.The method of claim 18 further comprising using color profiles.
 21. Themethod of claim 12 further comprising empirically determining at leastone of the stored parameters.
 22. The method of claim 12 wherein thecollection of stored parameters comprise data selected from the groupconsisting of: height, width, resolution, contrast ratio, brightness,color range, aspect ratio, pixel size, pixel shape, pixel composition,pixel orientation, field of view, user interface, interactivity, spatialdensity, bandwidth, connectivity, and input type.
 23. A system forevaluating characteristics of multiple image capture devices in a retailenvironment, the system comprising: at least one image capture deviceaccessible to a customer; a user interface configured to accept a userinput; a stored collection of parameters associated with a plurality ofimage capture devices; means for offering at least one of the pluralityof image capture devices for sale; and means for simulating at least oneof the plurality of image capture devices in response to the user input;whereby the means for simulating is configured to access at least one ofthe stored parameters consistent with the user input.
 24. The system ofclaim 23 further comprising means for displaying an image captured bythe first image capture device in accordance with the simulation of theat least one of the plurality of image capture devices.
 25. The systemof claim 24 wherein the means for displaying is selected from the groupconsisting of: television screen, computer monitor, organic display,digital paper, flexible display, foldable display, roll-up display,glasses, goggles, helmet, active windows, active picture frame, head-updisplay, embedded display, and printer.
 26. The system of claim 23wherein the first image capture device is selected from the groupconsisting of: camera, camcorder, scanner, fax machine, copy machine,biological imaging device, and mimeograph.
 27. The system of claim 23wherein at least one of the plurality of image capture devices isselected from the group consisting of: camera, camcorder, scanner, faxmachine, copy machine, biological imaging device, and mimeograph. 28.The system of claim 23 further comprising means for simulating aresolution of at least one of the plurality of image capture devices,wherein the stored collection of parameters includes parameters relatingto resolution.
 29. The system of claim 23 further comprising means forsimulating a color captured by at least one of the plurality of imagecapture devices, wherein the stored collection of parameters includesparameters relating to color.
 30. The system of claim 29 wherein themeans for simulating a color comprise means for altering a colorhistogram.
 31. The system of claim 29 wherein the means for simulating acolor comprise color profile means.
 32. The system of claim 23 whereinat least one of the stored parameters is empirically determined.
 33. Thesystem of claim 22 wherein the collection of stored parameters comprisedata selected from the group consisting of: height, width, resolution,contrast ratio, brightness, color range, aspect ratio, pixel size, pixelshape, pixel composition, pixel orientation, field of view, userinterface, interactivity, spatial density, bandwidth, connectivity, andinput type.